{"product_id":"book-the-bhagavad-gita-as-it-is","title":"The Bhagavad Gita As It Is — Complete Translation \u0026 Commentary","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Bhagavad Gita is a conversation held on a battlefield, moments before the fighting starts. Arjuna, a warrior, puts down his bow and asks whether any of this is worth doing. Krishna answers, and the answer runs to eighteen chapters covering duty, action, detachment and what it means to live rightly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis edition is among the most widely used English translations of the text, presenting the dialogue alongside detailed commentary that opens up the philosophical layers underneath it. It is built for people who want to sit with the text rather than skim it — students of Eastern philosophy, yoga practitioners, and readers working through the questions the Gita was written to answer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eAt a glance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOne of the most authoritative English translations\u003c\/strong\u003e of the Bhagavad Gita\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFull dialogue\u003c\/strong\u003e between Krishna and the warrior Arjuna\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDetailed commentary\u003c\/strong\u003e throughout, not translation alone\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCovers dharma, duty and spiritual liberation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuilt for study\u003c\/strong\u003e — a reference you return to rather than finish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRead it slowly, a chapter at a time.\u003c\/strong\u003e The Gita rewards rereading far more than it rewards speed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRead the verse before the commentary.\u003c\/strong\u003e Let the line land on its own terms first, then see what the commentary opens up.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKeep a notebook alongside it.\u003c\/strong\u003e Most readers find the same verses coming back to them at different points in life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse it as a companion to practice\u003c\/strong\u003e if you already have a yoga or meditation routine — the two tend to explain each other.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReturn to chapter two when stuck.\u003c\/strong\u003e It carries the core of the argument and works as an entry point on its own.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#000D0B,#40514E); color:#f3f3f3; padding:20px 24px; border-radius:8px; margin:28px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"color:#c9a96e; margin-top:0;\"\u003e✨ Temple Tip — read chapter two first, not chapter one\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eChapter one is scene-setting: armies, names, the geography of a battlefield you have no reason to care about yet. Chapter two is where Arjuna actually breaks down and Krishna actually answers, and it contains the argument the rest of the book elaborates. Readers who start there and loop back to chapter one afterward almost always get further.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eQuestions we get asked\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; padding:10px 0; font-weight:600; color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eIs this a translation or a commentary?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"padding:0 0 12px 0;\"\u003eBoth. It presents the Sanskrit dialogue in English translation with detailed commentary that unpacks the philosophy behind each passage.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; padding:10px 0; font-weight:600; color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eDo I need background in Hindu philosophy to read it?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"padding:0 0 12px 0;\"\u003eNo. The commentary is written to bridge classical Sanskrit teaching and contemporary understanding, so it is approachable without prior study.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; padding:10px 0; font-weight:600; color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eWho is this edition best suited to?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"padding:0 0 12px 0;\"\u003eSerious students of Eastern philosophy, yoga practitioners, and readers looking for depth on questions of duty, meaning and spiritual liberation.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; padding:10px 0; font-weight:600; color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eIs this a book you read once?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"padding:0 0 12px 0;\"\u003eMost people treat it as a reference. It is structured to be returned to over years rather than read through and shelved.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails\u003e\u003csummary style=\"cursor:pointer; padding:10px 0; font-weight:600; color:#2c3a37;\"\u003eWill the cover match the photograph?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"padding:0 0 12px 0;\"\u003eCover art follows the current print run and can vary slightly between printings.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is this a translation or a commentary?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Both. It presents the Sanskrit dialogue in English translation with detailed commentary that unpacks the philosophy behind each passage.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Do I need background in Hindu philosophy to read it?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"No. The commentary is written to bridge classical Sanskrit teaching and contemporary understanding, so it is approachable without prior study.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Who is this edition best suited to?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Serious students of Eastern philosophy, yoga practitioners, and readers looking for depth on questions of duty, meaning and spiritual liberation.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Is this a book you read once?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Most people treat it as a reference. It is structured to be returned to over years rather than read through and shelved.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Will the cover match the photograph?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Cover art follows the current print run and can vary slightly between printings.\"}}]}\u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.9em; color:#5b6764;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout this edition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cover art and printing details follow the current print run and may differ slightly from the photographs. Ships within 3 business days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA conversation held before a battle, still being answered. \u003cstrong\u003e#TempleOfDesire\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sacred Crystals","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54408858992977,"sku":"9780892131341","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1063\/0194\/8241\/files\/IMG_3962_8f962201-3544-458f-9a7a-5e57be97b42d.jpg?v=1785010899","url":"https:\/\/www.templeofdesire.com\/products\/book-the-bhagavad-gita-as-it-is","provider":"Temple of Desire","version":"1.0","type":"link"}